Ambivalence
by sincerlyneveryours
Summary: She was once the outsider who unknowingly caused herself to enter the mafia threshold due to her devoted love towards the Vongola boss. She was the only person without any real connections to the mafia. And now, fate decided to destroy all that Haru knew about herself and the mafioso world.
1. Chapter 1 Family Reunion

**Disclaimer: All of the original Reborn! characters belong to Akira Amano.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Family Reunion

"Kyoko-chan! You need to try this week's special chocolate mousse cake. It just melts in your mouth!" Haru exclaimed to her best friend. The two girls decided to celebrate their glutinous tradition at a pastry shop called A&T's Cakes, which had recently opened and received rave reviews. A series of decadent cakes sat on top of the table which separated the two young ladies as they indulged themselves and savored every single sugary bite.

Kyoko looked at the nicely defined young lady right before her. Now twenty years old, Haru had matured physically with her whorl of hazelnut-brown hair reaching her waist and her large coffee-colored eyes outlined with thick curls of lashes. She had outgrown her scrawny teenage body, which morphed into that of a form fitting adult's. Though she remained slender, one can notice her muscles buried underneath her lean physique. As the years progressed, more and more people, especially the guys, have learned to appreciate the doe-eyed belle.

To Haru, Kyoko herself, did not disappoint the eyes of the male population. Her silky, straight, carrot-colored hair gleamed as the light from the cafe bounced off her. Her eyes shined just as brightly as Haru's and gave the impression of innocence and a never ending depth of warmth. Her sweet smile gravitated people around her. These assets made Haru realize why Tsuna was attracted to her; she was his sunshine, the one who always smiled at him no matter what arduous challenges or burdens he faced. She was his source of sanity. Though the two were not in a relationship, the first time Haru comprehended these facts as well as the limitations of her relationship with Tsuna, she felt an aching pain in her chest. She cried herself to sleep that night and the rest of the nights that followed. A bittersweet feeling lingered in Haru's heart. Never the type to will ill towards someone, with the exception of Gokudera (always) and Hibari (sometimes), Haru could never accuse Kyoko of stealing her Sky. How could she when all her companion ever did was encourage her with love and give everlasting support in whatever craziness Haru did. She knew no one can ever call the Sky as theirs. It looks over them and they at it. It can grace and mesmerize everyone with its presence but it can never be contained. However, Haru still held on to that lingering thread of hope for her chance to be with the Sky no matter how much her logic reprimanded her to stop.

"Haru?"

"Hahi! Gomen ne Kyoko-chan. Haru was in a daze for a moment."

"Is something bothering you? You haven't even devoured your first slice of cake, which is a surprise since we would usually finish half of our order by now," Kyoko said giving her a thoughtful look that only she can pull off as cute.

"Oh," Haru mumbled while thinking of a way to cover up her musings. "Haru was just thinking of the family gathering that her family's attending."

"The Vongola Famiglia's having a get together?"

"Ah no, Haru's mom's side of the family is having this big get-together to commemorate Ojiisan's death. Haru misses Ojiisan a lot. He used to come over our house and give Haru cakes and candies! He spoiled Haru a lot." Haru smiled nostalgically. "Before he died, he said he wanted every one of his relatives to come together but I guess he couldn't live that long. But, no worries! Haru promised to make that request happen even if he's gone into heaven. I know Ojiisan's still watching over us." the doe-eyed exclaimed.

"That's wonderful!" Kyoko beamed.

After an hour full of conversation and indulging had passed, the two stood up from their seats and journeyed home. They said their goodbyes once they approached the intersection that separated their paths. A couple of minutes into her walk, Haru felt a strong presence following her. She made a sharp turn to the nearest corner, pressed her body against the wall and prepared herself to meet the stranger once he emerged from the street. One minute passed and no man came; Haru, however, still sensed the threatening presence that emanated from her stalker. Her heart started to thump harder against her chest and suddenly she heard a voice greet her.

"Ciaossu."

Haru stiffened for a moment but then registered the greeting. She knew that there was only one person who would ever use that word to acknowledge others.

"Konnichiwa, Reborn-san. How have you been?" she finally replied, still trying to get her heart to a normal pace.

"Neh, Haru, do you still like Tsuna?"

Haru's cheeks slightly turned pink at the mention of the name. "Eh? What makes you say that Reborn-san?"

Reborn stared at Haru blankly for a few moments before looking away and replying, "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." The little hitman then gave Haru one of his cute smiles and said, "I'll accompany you on the rest of your way home."

Haru smiled back with appreciation. "Haru would like that."

As the two were walking back to Haru's place, Haru was caught off guard by Reborn's next question.

"Neh, Haru, are you excited about your upcoming family reunion?"

"Reborn-san...how did you learn about Haru's family reunion?" As far as she could remember, Haru hadn't mentioned it to anyone except Kyoko. The hitman just smirked and kept quiet as they reached Haru's home.

* * *

A week had passed after her meeting with Kyoko, and Haru now stood, wearing a mint green sundress, in front of the doors to her Obaasan's house. Calling the place a house was an understatement. The traditional-styled, three-story residence took up 6,000 square feet and had a large garage located next to it. The foundation was made out of white granite textured stone with polished dark brown wood outlining the windows and the sloped roof was lined with ceramic tiles that were the same shade of dark brown. A foot or two of grass outlined the front, adorned with traditional bonsai trees and a baby weeping willow adjacent to the house. The pond took up almost the entire front of the house and its edges were decorated with massive stones and plants in white, round stone pots. A wooden bridge connected the sidewalk to the property's parking area in front of the garage, which acted as the only source of access into the house.

Haru and her family were escorted straight to a large tatami room containing a series of connected low tables and blue floor cushions. At the head was a large altar with her Ojiisan's photo adorned with yellow chrysanthemums. The seats were gradually filled as the guests began to enter the room. Haru twiddled her thumbs as except for her Obaasan. Never been one to feel intimidated, Haru decided to start a conversation with the person to her right. "Konnichiwa, my name is Haru desu. What's yours?"

"Haru...Haru...," the bulky man next to her mumbled. With a look of realization, he exclaimed, "So you're Miura Chiharu's daughter! I'm Seijūrō Yasuo, your uncle. Well...distant uncle. Your mother and I were like brother and sister when we were younger but, by the look you're giving me, I don't think she's ever mentioned me to you before." He laughed wholeheartedly, making his baritone voice resonate throughout the room. "Though I can't say I blame her. I was always the rowdy, spontaneous black sheep of the family. One day, I just upped and left the house and never came back for almost ten years. I've straightened out though: I finished college, started a family and even continued on to get a master's degree in architectural engineering. Hahaha." Haru just smiled and listened to her newly acquainted uncle. "I can't believe Chiharu's little girl turned out to be quite pretty like her. I should have seen it coming though. Like mother, like daughter...guess it runs in the family. Just look at me and my son. Ahaha!"

"Haru has a cousin that she doesn't know about?" Haru asked curiously.

"Ah yes, he's about your age, maybe a year or two older. Quite the catch like his old man here. Want to go out with him? He's single," he offered, giving Haru a mischievous grin, to which she replied with a heartfelt laugh. Then, Haru felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Haru, what are you doing here?" the young man asked with a confused tone.

Haru gazed up at his face and was startled.

"Haru," he repeated, "why are you here?"

"Um...Haru's here to attend her Ojiisan's memorial," Haru replied. However, she was too afraid to return the question to him.

The man gave her a thoughtful look. "Your Ojiisan? ...Haru, do you by chance think that we're re—?"

The man was cut off when everything suddenly turned pitch black.

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**Hi guys, I hope you liked the first chapter. This is my first fanfic ever, and I'm writing this with my dear friend Allie-cat83. Without her this story would not exist, if it did, it would have a ton of grammatical errors. So, thank you Allie-cat83.**

**This story will mostly center on Haru's development. From what you've read so far, the characters are in their twenties, and that Haru may be related to one of the Vongolas. Wonder who it is? Wanna guess? We plan to ship Haru with someone, so let us know who you guys want Haru to end up with kay? **

**Please review. Constructive criticisms are welcome :3 **

**Thanks for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2 We're Related

**Disclaimer: All of the original Reborn! characters belong to Akira Amano.**

Chapter 2: We're Related

"Haru!" the man exclaimed, alarmed by the sudden darkness. His senses were heightened and ready for what may be an attack towards him and his female companion because of their involvement in the mafia. The man knew the consequences of his connections as well as his status. Over the years, he learned that by accepting his role, he would constantly put the lives of those dear to him in jeopardy. It also meant that by allowing his famiglia's name to grow as well as himself, he can offer them protection against the threats. Thankful that he was at a close range from the young lady, he quickly grabbed her shoulders and moved his body in front of her form. As his eyes got accustomed to the darkness, he quickly dragged them both into a corner and used his body to cover Haru in case of any attack. The man stood guarded, waiting.

Haru held onto the man's back, feeling the sense of security his body offered. From the corners of her eyes, she saw a speck of red light flashing repeatedly over her grandfather's photo followed by a loud blast.

The explosion of the altar was followed by the ruptured screams of the Seijuro household. A gaping hole, formed by the explosion, provided a bit of light. A small lone figure stood with his shadow covering his face. Sensing the threat that the stranger emitted, the man before Haru stiffened, which did not go unnoticed by the her. She too felt the danger intensifying once the figure made his presence known. Years of participating in the mafia taught her not to underestimate anyone no matter how unlikely they may appear to be on the outside. An image of I-Pin on the day where she and Kyoko were pursued by over two dozen armed mafia men flashed in Haru's mind. She remembered how the pre-teen repressed all of them with her martial arts and left them badly beaten on the ground to soak in their own blood.

The tiny figure stepped towards the crowd and entered the room. A light flashed underneath his face to reveal a ghostly white face of an old man.

"Ciaossu."

Confusion ran through both Haru and her companion's minds.

"Do not be alarmed - I am the soul of your beloved Seijūrō Shūichirō."

The man in front of Haru relaxed and mumbled about whether anyone would believe such ridiculous notions that this baby was saying. However, his instinct told him to be wary. Why would that guy be here and why wouldn't his body leave hers when the presence of the Arcobaleno, with his grinning face, signaled him to be calm and at ease. Something was not right.

Haru let out a breath of relief. With a quick look at Reborn, she realized the the baby was trying to impersonate her Ojiisan. As to why he was doing that, Haru did not know.

"Shūichirō-sama," someone called out. The only two who were aware of Reborn's impersonation sweatdropped. "Have...have we disturbed your peace?" the relative asked as his voice started to break.

"No, Takami. The explosion was caused by my happiness upon seeing all you gather here in my home in honor of me. The sight of you granting my final wish was powerful enough to bring my soul and materialize it before all of you."

"Oh, Shūichirō-sama!" someone called.

"Shūichirō-sama, we've missed you!" said another.

The mass started to acknowledge the "head of the family" and went to crowd towards him.

"Of course we would honor your final words Uncle. How could we not? Everyone in our family respected you," said Seijūrō Yasuo.

"I am greatly honored, especially hearing that from you, Yasou. I am glad that you have found yourself and came back to the family. Now everyone, do not be alarmed. Let us continue celebrating this day that you have dedicated to me. Mingle, strengthen the bonds which have dwindled over the years, create new bonds, and celebrate. I'm sure some of you are surprised at how connected we actually are with one another." By this, "Shūichirō-sama's" gaze landed straight at Haru and her protector. "My time with you all has run out. I hope to meet everyone again at where I now reside in due time. But for now, enjoy your time in this world." With his parting words, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The lights turned on and the man took a step towards the front, giving Haru enough space to leave the corner in which she was placed in. Haru took a step toward the gap and stood in front of the tall man.

"Ano...Arigatou Tsuna-san," she said timidly. "For protecting Haru, though Haru can protect herself."

"Ah, not a problem Haru. I was pretty much acting on instinct," the Vongola boss replied sheepishly.

"Demo...Tsuna-san if you don't mind me asking, why are you here in the first place?"

"Ano...I'm here for the same reason you are Haru." Tsuna saw the shock flash on Haru's features. "Haru, we need to discuss about what happened and what's currently happening to us right now. I don't know why but I have a feeling that meeting you here was a coincidence as well as the explosion and seeing Reborn."

Haru nodded and Tsuna led her outside by the baby willow where a bench rested below. He motioned for her to sit and she did. He sat beside her while keeping a bit of distance between them.

"Haru-" the Tenth began but was cut off by the young lady.

"Haru knows," she said. "Haru knows that you think we're related and Haru thinks so too."

Tsuna just nodded. He was not oblivious to her feelings towards him. His intuition told him that she was still holding some of those feelings, but seemed to hide them. Over the years, he realized that her exaggerated show of affections had decreased and, for a moment, he even believed she stopped liking him. But one time, not so long ago, when their eyes met, he saw the longing and hopelessness that they held. He felt guilty for not being able to return her feelings. To him, Haru was a wonderful girl and any man would be lucky to have her. He was grateful that she held such feelings towards him but he felt that he could never view her as anything more but a sister.

"Haru..." he started, but once again was cut off by his companion.

"It's fine Tsuna-san. You don't have to worry about Haru or her feelings," she replied to him with a small smile. "Haru should actually be glad to find out that she's related to Tsuna-san. Now, Haru's finally related to someone in the Mafia and has more reason to belong to the Family. Also, Gokudera can stop pestering Haru to quit the Family and live a regular life."

Tsuna was surprised with Haru's last statement. He would have never thought that his right-hand man would tell Haru to do such a thing. Though after living with Gokudera for nearly six years, he knew that the man was just trying to look out for their female companion. He cared for Haru even though he would never admit it out loud or to himself.

"Plus this realization made it clear to Haru that she has no chance with you." Tsuna snapped his head towards her and saw her eyes glistening as tears threatened to escape. He opened his mouth, trying to offer some words of comfort, but nothing came.

"Tsuna-san, can you...Can you please leave Haru by herself? Ano...Haru wants to let out her emotions for you one last time. After this, I will be done and happy."

The man just nodded and sat up. He offered her a sad, but comforting smile. "Okay," he replied. "But if you're not back in an hour, I'm coming back for you."

"Thank you," she said and he left.

Haru sat there, eyes covering her face, and cried one last time for her unrequited love and for herself.

* * *

Inside the house, Tsuna sat down next to the empty seat located nearest to the door.

"Hey kid, have you seen that Haru girl around?" Tsuna looked up to see Haru's uncle and maybe his uncle as well.

Tsuna nodded and motioned his head outside. "She wanted to get some air."

"Darn, I was going to introduce her to my son, Seijūrō Shinobu." He gestured to the young man at his side.

Seijūrō Yasuo, Tsuna noticed, was older than he looked. If he did not know that Yasuo had a son near his age, he would have thought the man to be in his mid thirties. Yasou looked like one of those disheveled yet eye catching businessmen who could gravitate women left and right. He had messy brown hair, deep brown eyes and a manly build. His height towered over Tsuna, but the man was unfazed. Their "uncle" seemed good-natured enough and his intuition told him that he was not a threat.

Tsuna looked at Yasuo's son and could not deny that Shinobu was the spitting image of his father. He had his father's built, though his was smaller and leaner-looking. His hair was messy just like father but had a darker shade that was about in-between Tsuna's and Haru's color. His eyes though were sapphire-colored, which Tsuna believed would captivate the female population. Another beneficial trait Shinobu inherited from his Otōsan was his height. He was about half a head taller than Tsuna. Again, Tsuna did not sense any threat.

Yasuo and his son engaged in a conversation with Tsuna for most of evening. Later, when the Vongola head noticed that almost an hour had passed and Haru had not yet returned, he excused himself and made his way to the willow tree.

He spotted Haru still sitting on the bench, as the wind blowed softly against her skin, and made his way to her.

"Haru, are you doing better?"

"Yea, Haru's fine now." She looked up at him and gave a sincere smile. "Tsuna-san, can Haru ask you one more favor?"

"Sure Haru, just don't tell me to leave again since it's getting dark and I'd rather not leave you alone unguarded."

"Haha," she laughed lightly. "It's not gonna be that again. I was wondering if you can give Haru a hug?" she asked as the blush started to form on her cheeks.

Startled, Tsuna looked a bit wide-eyed at the young lady but granted her wish. He enveloped her in a warm hug, to which she returned. To a passer by, they would have mistook the hug as one shared between lovers but the two had a silent understanding that it was a hug between two close friends. A moment passed and Tsuna released his hold on Haru. He was given another thank you. In response, he smiled while nodding and then motioned for them to go back inside as the autumn wind was making the night colder than what she was dressed for.

When the duo entered the house they were greeted by Yasuo, who saved them a seat and was urging them to hurry up and join them for supper. Tsuna sat on Yasuo's left while Haru sat to her uncle's right, and next to a young man near her age. They all gave thanks for their meals and began eating.

In between the meals, Yasuo busied himself by conversing with Tsuna while the man to Haru's right introduced himself.

"Hello Haru-chan, my name is Seijūrō Shinobu. I'm Seijūrō Yasuo's son. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Shinobu-san," Haru replied.

"Oh just call me Shinobu since we are family," her cousin said nonchalantly.

"Oh then just call me Haru."

"Sure thing Haru."

They let out a laugh. Throughout dinner, the two conversed and became quite comfortable with one another. Haru was glad to have met her uncle and cousin as well as let go of Tsuna. She hoped she finally did. When the time came for them to leave, they all said their goodbyes, but not before Haru and Shinobu exchanged phone numbers due to Yasuo insisting that the two of them should hang out and for his son to introduce Haru to one of Shinobu's friends.

* * *

Haru gave Tsuna a ride home to the Vongola mansion since he was dropped off by Gokudera earlier and he did not want to call and bother the man to drive him home. The car ride was quiet but there was no awkward silence. Rather, it was almost peaceful to say the least. Once they reached the mansion, they bid each other goodnight and went to their separate wings.

When Tsuna reached his quarters he saw the note on his bed.

_Dame-Tsuna,_

_Come to your office._

_R._

Tsuna immediately left his bedroom and headed straight to his workroom. There, he saw Reborn sitting casually on his desk with Gokudera standing straight on his right side and Hibari leaning against the wall on the hitman's left. An air of seriousness surrounded the room.

"Tsuna," the baby began, "the explosion at the Seijūrō household today was not something I myself planned nor was the whole scene of me dressing up as the ghost of the Seijūrō household's head."

Vongola Decimo nodded his head. He realized that something was off today and that Reborn was not the type to disrespect one's family.

"I figured that much," he replied. "But what I don't understand is why attack them when they have no Mafia blood? Do they know that I am related to Haru?" Those last few words caught the ears of his two guardians.

"Juudaime, you're related to Haru?"

"Yes, we recently found out when we met each other at the gathering today."

His right hand man sighed knowing that the annoying woman must be heartbroken at the thought. He concluded the he would discuss the situation with her later.

Hibari on the other hand just stared intently at their boss.

"The attack, according to one of our subordinates, was towards Haru. We are not sure why yet, but we plan to find out," said the hitman.

"Maybe it's because the Miura girl is associated with the head or that she's currently training to be one of the Vongola's head tacticians." the cloud guardian contributed.

"Hmm maybe," said the baby hitman.

"Reborn, how did you know about the attack today and why wasn't I notified?" the Sky asked.

"It was a spur of the moment. You were already at the party when our intel warned us and I took the initiative to bring Hibari and his men to block the attackers. We, however, did not know that there was a bomb implanted in the room. To ease the masses, I decided to cover up by dressing as the deceased Seijūrō."

The head just nodding, feeling drained by the night's events. "It's been a long night. Everybody should go back to their quarters and rest." Tsuna dismissed the meeting and everyone exited the room.

**First of all, thank you to everyone for following, favoriting and reviewing. The support you gave me boosted my esteem to write the story. Well we've revealed who the mystery relative was and a bunch of you guessed it right. Also, so far people would be willing to ship Haru with practically anyone and I agree with them. I would ship her with any of the guys in the anime/manga. My favorite shipping for her would be 6986, 1886 and B86 from the most favorite to least. Then again, my love for the B86 is still pretty big. I'm just not that comfortable with writing Bel yet.**

**Once again, thank you to my awesome partner who will always be my pillar. She always has my back and makes time for me and this story (even with her crazy studies these past weeks).**

**Chapter 3 is on its way. It'll probably be done in a week or two. I would like to finish it before I go back to school.**

**Thank you all for reading. Don't forget to review. Constructive criticisms are welcome. **


	3. Chapter 3 Trust Me to Protect You

Chapter 3 Trust Me to Protect You

Disclaimer: All of the original Reborn! characters belong to Akira Amano.

* * *

Haru lay on top of her bed, reminiscing the night's events. Tonight helped her come to a conclusion that life can play tricks on a person. She always wanted to be close to Tsuna, closer to him than anyone else. She smirked. 'Looks like Haru got her wish. Haru should be happy. She's actually bound to him by blood. How much closer can we get?' she amused herself. 'Reality really is not a fairytale.'

She felt proud of herself though for she finally convinced herself to let go of her tiny bit of hope. 'Haru's heart will heal in time. Tomorrow is a new beginning for her."

With a final sigh, the young adult fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

The Vongola kitchen consisted of a large space filled with the latest kitchen walls were a creamy caramel color. The ceiling had a parabolic shape and a mini crystal chandelier hung at the center. The fridge, stove, oven, fridge and all of the other large kitchen appliances were made out of stainless steel while the island and the kitchen counter tops were made out of black granite. The island stood in the middle of the kitchen, parallel to the stove. Along the island was a row of long-legged canopy chairs, cushioned by a pillow for comfortable sitting.

Lambo, in his cow-print hoodie, was waiting and demanding breakfast quite loudly, while I-Pin shushed the young teen, telling him to be more patient. Fuuta sat on on the chair nearest to Kyoko while she cooked the boys and I-Pin their breakfast. Yamamoto sat next to Fuuta with a glass of coffee at hand and watched the scene between Lambo and I-Pin. Next to the swordsman was Ryohei who shoved his entire meal down his throat and asked for another serving as well as exclaim how one should eat to the extreme.

The scene continued as Haru entered the kitchen. Everyone turned towards her to give their greetings.

Haru greeted them with a genuine smile and a cheery "Ohayo minna!"

Usually, Haru would have helped Kyoko with preparing breakfast for the Famiglia but after yesterday, she felt like she deserved the extra hours of peace. She walked towards the island and took a seat with the others. Kyoko placed Haru's breakfast in front of her. It consisted of an egg omelet with a happy face painted on the top with ketchup and lemon tea.

"Ne Haru-chan, eat up," Kyoko encouraged the young lady.

Haru nodded her head and thanked Kyoko.

"So Haru how was your family reunion?" her best friend asked.

"It was unforgettable to say the least. Haru met so many new relatives that Haru didn't even know about. Haru met her uncle, Seijūrō Yasuo-san, and his son Seijūrō Shinobu," Haru replied as she ate her breakfast. "Neh, minna, where is the rest of the Famiglia? Haru knows that she didn't help out with breakfast but she did not sleep in too much to miss everyone. Even Reborn-chan is not here."

"Hmm...I believe Tsuna-kun is in his office with Gokudera," Kyoko replied.

"And Chrome was sent on a mission by Reborn this morning," Yamamoto added.

"Ah..." said Haru and started another conversation with Yamamoto.

The rest of the meal went on like it did every single morning. When everyone finished, Haru stayed behind with Kyoko to clean the tables while the kids went to school and the Guardians went on with their usual morning routine. When they finished cleaning the table, Haru saw Kyoko take out a bowl and crack several eggs into it.

She stared at Kyoko's back and watched her best friend cook three omelets. Once she finished, she place them onto a serving tray and politely asked Haru to deliver the meal to Tsuna's office. Haru smiled and gave her best friend a quick nod before taking the tray and made her way to the office.

* * *

"She needs someone to guard her until this case is solved. We can't let her get herself in another dangerous situation without any form of protection."

"I agree, though when I tried to protect her she made it clear that she can defend herself, Gokudera. She'll most likely be resistant to the idea," the Vongola leader replied.

"That stupid woman doesn't know what's best for her, Juudaime."

"Herbivore, you should listen to your right-hand man if you wish to keep those dear to you safe."

"I'm not against the idea Hibari-san. I am merely stating how Haru will react."

"Then force it," the cloud replied indifferently.

"Dame-Tsuna, this is your cousin's life in danger. The decisions regarding her safety will be decided by you," the hitman spoke from the windowsill.

A soft knock broke the group's discussion and their heads all turned to face the door to see Haru enter while carrying the three omelets.

"Ohayo minna. Haru has brought you some breakfast."

"Arigatou Haru," Tsuna responded with a small smile. He observed Haru with a concerned expression but then relaxed when he concluded that she was fine. "Just put it on top of the table." He motioned to the coffee table, which lay in between his desk and the door where Haru stood carrying the food.

The female gently placed the food on top the table. "Everyone eat up! You will need the energy until lunch. Oh Hibari-san, Haru didn't know that you'd be here. Would you like some food as well?" the brunette offered.

"No, thank you Miura," the Skylark replied.

"Oh, okay then. Haru will be on her way. Make sure to eat up," she said as she stared at the the others and then exited the room.

Once Haru was out of sight, Reborn turned to Tsuna to remind him of their previous discussion.

Tsuna nodded his head and turned to Hibari, staring at him intently. "Hibari-san," he began, "I need you to relocate some of your men to my Obasan's neighborhood so they can scout the place for any potential threat. I would also like it if you could increase the number of men around the places where Haru usually hangs out. I need to make sure that she's not in any situation where she's vulnerable to attacks." Over the years, Vongola Decimo outgrew his spineless nature to the point where even the notorious Cloud Guardian learned to respect him. The young man's resolve intensified whenever any trouble involved his Famiglia.

"Herbivore, I can ask my men to scout your aunt's house. However, if I were to increase the surveillance around the areas where that other herbivore usually dwells in, it would leave some areas of Namimori unwatched. I suggest that you have one of your men guard her or ask the Bronco, I'm sure he can send some of his men over," the disciplinary leader of Namimori replied.

"I really don't think she'll appreciate the fact that a bunch of men in black suits with European accents will be trailing her like a bunch of hound dogs," said the Storm Guardian.

"Force it then," the Cloud Guardian retorted.

"Why don't you watch over her Gokudera-kun?"

The Storm Guardian's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Juudaime, how could you suggest that?! My obligation is to stay near you. How can I be your right-hand man if I'm too busy guarding someone else instead of being by your side?"

"Gokudera-kun, I know this is asking a lot from you-"

"Not at all Juudaime! I-"

"But, all the other guardians have missions and other important obligations to attend to at the moment. I just need you to watch over her for a while, and then I'll get someone else to attend to her."

The half-Italian sighed and gave in to his boss' wish.

When the final decisions were made, the Vongola boss dismissed his men.

"Arigatou, Gokudera-kun. And please don't murder one another," Tsuna said sincerely as his most dedicated guardian made his way out the room.

* * *

Gokudera walked in the hallway, muttering to himself. "Dammit. Why do I have to be stuck with that damn woman. What is wrong with her? I told her a long time ago not to get involve with the mafia's...fu- Gah, stop talking to yourself. Someone will think you're losing your head." The Vongola Guardian walked along the halls of the girls' dorms as he willed himself to cool down. He and Haru were never the best of friends to begin with (always fighting for Juudaime's attention, bickering over how to treat the kids, and insulting one another's opinion in about everything). Fighting with her was a way for him to let go of some steam. People be damned if they thought that both considered the other a friend. However, if Gokudera's only option to save his boss' life would force him to tell the truth, he would honestly confess that he had-unwillingly-formed a strong bond with the annoying woman. The two knew when the other was pissed, happy, or sad for God's sake. They knew how to provoke the other and when not to, though the latter did take a lot of self-discipline. He halted when he arrived at his destination. With a final sigh, Gokudera knocked on the door. The sound caused by the grinding of her drawer's two wooden fragments signaled to him that Haru was indeed inside her room.

A few moments passed and, when it seemed like the no one was going to open the door, Gokudera banged harder.

"Shit!"

The abrupt knocking startled the young lady and caused her to scream out of frustration, for the scissors snipped her long brown locks a bit too short. Frustrated, Haru dropped her scissors and headed towards the door while fully determined to give the unwanted visitor a piece of her mind.

"What the hell do you want right now Gokudera-san?" she demanded venomously while glaring at the suited man in front of her.

"What the hell do I want? ...What the hell happened to your hair?" he asked, bewildered at the sight of her hair. Half of her head, the right side, was chopped off to her collarbone while the other was its original length. "Did that damn Rokudo Mukuro enter your premature brain and somehow convince you that having a haircut that looks like it was done by a blind person is attractive?"

"Excuse me? YOU'RE the reason why Haru accidentally cut her hair too short! Haru just wanted it to reach her shoulders but no thanks to you, her hair is messed up now!" Haru exclaimed, showing Gokudera the chunk of hair that she snipped off. "And can you not insult Haru's intelligence?"

"It's not my fault that you didn't hear my knock before and it was due to your carelessness in the first place that you chopped off three-fourths of your hair." Gokudera could only stare dumbly at the short brown chunk of lock that the brunette waved in front of his face. "Dammit woman...iu" he muttered under his breath. "Go sit down," he ordered the brunette while directing her to the vanity.

"Why?" Haru replied, her voice oozing with suspicion and distrust while she glared daggers at the man before her.

"Just do it!" Gokudera answered, frustrated. He was already done with the day and noon had not come yet.

With a final glare, Haru made her way to her vanity and sat down on the mahogany seat. The Storm Guardian followed her and stood right behind her. He ran his fingers through her hair and muttered, "Way to butcher your perfectly nice hair annoying woman."

He felt her swat away his hand from her tresses. "Quit insulting Haru will you? What exactly are you planning on doing with Haru's hair? Butcher it?" Haru's patience was running thin; today was not a good day for her. She loved her chocolate-colored locks and did not plan on cutting it too short. Unfortunately, Gokudera's sudden knocking caused her fingers to contract and thus resulted in her failed attempt.

"Just shut up."

With a heavy sigh, Haru nodded her head and finally listened. She told herself to calm down and to figure out what to do with her hair once her head cooled. Then, she closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Haru jolted when she felt Gokudera run his fingers through her hair. He told her to shut up once again when he sensed that she was about to question his abnormal behavior. For the second time that day, Haru decided not to argue with the man. She was tired and annoyed and the undoubtedly weird gesture was quite soothing. Haru wondered if this was how animals felt while being petted.

_Snip. Snip._

Haru's eyes went wide, like the shape of two pizza platters. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

* * *

Tsuna looked up from his paperwork and stared towards Hibari with a dumbfound face. "Was that-?"

"Kamikorosu," Hibari interjected as he lifted up his tonfas, his eyes glinting murderously.

"Ha...ha..." The boss scratched the back of his head and continued doing his paperwork.

* * *

Copious amounts of dark brown locks fell lightly on the wooden floor as the silver-haired man continued to even out the young woman's hair. Trying to reassure her, he said, "Just calm down annoying woman and trust me for once."

For a moment, the Storm Guardian dropped his hands from Haru's hair and stared directly into her eyes in the mirror. "Do you trust me with your hair?" It held an underlying tone of affection, as much affection as what could come from a calloused man who was bred into the mafia.

Haru took a moment-pretending to ponder-and flatly said, "No," and stuck her tongue out.

A vein popped out from Gokudera's forehead. "Baka onna," he mumbled under his breath and continued to trim her long locks, not caring about whether she would protest or not.

"Neh, Gokudera-kun why did you go into Haru's room?"

"Hmph...Juudaime decided to give me an assignment involving you."

"...Okay?"

"I'm going to be your bodyguard for the time being."

"Huh, why? Is someone targeting Haru? And why does her bodyguard have to be Gokudera-kun?"

"Juudaime is taking some precautions, making sure that all of his family is protected since our intel has been notified that an anonymous family is threatening the lives of the Vongola," the guardian finished. His reasoning was partially true. Recently, more and more attacks have occurred near the Namimori neighborhood as well as the college where the non-Vongola guardian attended.

"Demo, Gokudera-kun, aren't you Tsuna's right-hand man? Can't he send someone else to watch over Haru instead?"

"Trust me, annoying woman, I wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't the only choice."

"Ah...of course Gokudera-kun would always put Haru second to Tsuna-san," Haru whispered to herself. But her mumbles did not escape the Storm's honed sense of hearing and the corner of his lips shifted ever so slightly. He wondered what the crazy woman was trying to imply. Was she unintentionally insulting him and his priorities? For the second time that day, the Vongola's right-hand man stared intently at his longtime acquaintance.

"Do you not trust me to protect you, Haru?"

"Haru does trust you," she stated. "Haru trusts you to protect her by protecting Tsuna-san's life. He is a special person to Haru and without Tsuna-san Haru would be sad. So by protecting those whom Haru loves, Gokudera-kun is protecting Haru from sadness."

Gokudera quietly contemplated on her statement as he trimmed her hair. After some time had passed, he was almost finished with Haru's hair when he asked, "Haru, can you trust me with your life?"

"Why the sudden question?"

"Just answer the damn question before I chop off all of your hair and make you look like a scrawny, pubescent boy."

Haru dropped her gaze to the desk and allowed the silence to follow.

"Haru can say that she trusts you to protect her, Gokudera-san. Haru also said that she trusts you with protecting everyone else's lives, especially Tsuna-san's," Haru began. "But let Haru ask you something: If you were in a position where two people are in danger but you can only protect one of them-for instance one being Tsuna-san and the other being Haru-who would you protect?"

The question caught the young man off guard. It rarely occurred where Haru asked him anything serious. This type of situation had only happened three times-one of them being the time when he told her about her position in the Famiglia, which only resulted in strengthening her resolve. Gokudera let the silence continue for another moment and then said, "Why did you decide to ask me this question now, Haru?"

She shrugged. "Haru doesn't know. It's just a random question she was contemplating about some time ago.

"I was assigned to be your bodyguard for the time being. Please have some faith in me baka onna. Finished."

Gokudera set down the scissors and allowed Haru to take in her reflection. Haru's hair now reached just above her collarbone and it let her emit a more feminine and mature persona. Gokudera took a step back and observed his chef d'oeuvre.

"Hehehe." A giggle escaped from Haru's thin lips. "Who would have thought that Gokudera-kun is capable of cutting hair. He seems so violent and rash that he shocked Haru with his gentle and meticulous side."

"I'm quite meticulous, crazy woman."

"Hehe. But never really the gentle type."

"Che. Whatever. Don't mention this to anyone, understand?" Haru's bodyguard drawled before exiting her quarters.

* * *

**First off, Hi guys. Thank you for reading, and I apologize for the delay. School started several weeks ago so I was unable to write as much as I hoped. I'm taking AP classes this year and am being suicidal by taking one of the hardest classes available as well as taking a sport, an extra academic club and other extracurricular activities so I'm apologizing in advance that my updates will be irregular. I will keep writing though.**

**Second, I know this may look like a gokuharu and I did mention that i liked the pairing but the whole thing isn't set yet. I'm still debating who I want her to end up with. I it might even be a HaruxBasil or something lol. But, I do want her and Gokudera to have a close relationship in the end even if it's just friendship or an unrequited love. Thank you again for all your patience. I hope you guys will continue to read :)**

**Lastly, thank you to my awesome cousin for beta-ing for me. This story would suck without her.**

**Don't forget to review guys I really need feedbacks :) Constructive criticisms are always welcome. **


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